Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-06
AdditiOnalDetailS.

CLEVELAND, January 5.-The following
additional details Of yesterdays wreck on
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near
Tilfin, are furnished by special dispatch
TO the Louder,
The frightful wreck on the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad near Republic, yester-
day, is still the prevailing topic Of cOnyer-
SatiOn, the chief part of which relates to
fixing the responsibility. 1t is openly
charged that the engineer of the freight
train was intoxicated. Whether this is true
or not, is not positively known. One
thing is certain, and that is that q
great share of the responsibility, if not all
of it, rests upon the conductor and engineer
of the freight. They knew they were en-
crOaching on the time OF the limited ex-
press before their train came to stand.
Robert McAdOo the well known miller of
Tillin, was on the ill-fated train and made
the following statement concerning the
accident to o reporter to-day:
A DESCRIPTION OF THE WRECK.
81 had been visiting friends in Washing
ton county, Pa, and started home on
Monday morning, coming by way of
Wheeling and Bellaire. | came from Bell
aire to Newark on an accommodation and
at IL o'clock Monday night boarded the
fast train at,,the latter place, taking seat
near the center of the coach behind the
smoker, and on the left hand side of the
ear. The coach vas we'll filled, there be-
ing quite number of ladies and children.
The train was on time at Newark, and had
quite successful run, stopping only at
Mt. Vernon, Mansfield, Chicago Junction
and Shelby. heard the engine blow the
whistle for the road crossing just west OF
Republic, and realizing that vas nearing
home raised up, put on my Overcoat ana
secured my satchel preparatory TO alight-
ing While thus engaged l felt the sud
den application of the air brakes, followed
instantly by the jar of the reversal of the
engine. Mechanically dropped into the
seat and realizing that something was
about to happen, graSped the back Ofthe
seat in front CT me and braCed myself for
the coming shock. ali this occupied but a
few moments time, and do not think
three seconds elapsed from the application
Ofthe brakes until
THE SHOCK
came, was thrown TO my feet BY the force
OF the shock, but did not lose my presence
of mind. In fact had not time to real
ize the danger until it was past. Great
excitement prevailed among the paSsen-
gers in the car, particularly the ladies' al
though no one was hurt beyond slight
bruises. turned my attention to pacify-
ing tae gGpen. when heard some one
cry 'Pirer The frdlt Oh orr gar was
crushed IN, but ! could see no evidence Of
flames. / raised a window and looking
out and forward l saw the
smoke and flames bursting from
the E;ndows of the smoker. then hur-
rie5 the passeoSe.s from the car in which
we were, as the IRE Was beg,nItnS 20 make
its appearance. at the forward enc. The
ladies passed oat $rst and think / was
about the last person 70 ieays. know
there wss 20 one left in the car, and so
answered the iudsify Of Fhe conductor.
When l stepped to the groaHa Est Eye min
utes had elapsed since the moment of the
collision, yet the interior of the smoker was
A sESrHNa FURNACE
in which life could not have been sustained
for an instant, the flames pouring from the
windows and ventilators IN the root. ]
mention this as aSatisfactiOn to the friends
of those who lost their lives in that i'll
fated car. My belief is that all, or nearly
III we're killed instantly, and no
one could bass suffered a lingering
death for the reason That life in thE car
would have been impossible four minutes
after the collision occurred.
| noticed Mrs. Postlethwaite and her
two children before the accident, and OBJ
se.yed also that she was among the first to
leave the car. At tie point where the
accident occurred there isa cut SIX teet
deep. and when ] came out of the car
saw that 90 t.f
THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN
were at the bottom of this. l assisted
several of them up, including Mrs. POstle-
thwaite, IG6 started them back along the
line of the Seepers. tLey were all
placed. in these coaches, except 4
little daughter ofMrs Poetlethwaite, Whom
sone one carried to Republic, distance OF
half a mile, where she was afterwards